Tag Archives: cocktail corner

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg As a winemaker friend once told me, “It takes a lot of beer to make good wine.” So I guess that means that bringing the California Brew Festival here to wine country is long overdue. More than 40 breweries will come together to pour hundreds of craft brews […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg No matter how many times I’m reminded that you can’t judge a book by its cover, I’m still a sucker for an interesting wine label, so I was particularly intrigued by the samples I recently received from Kings Carey Wine, the new label by Liquid Farm […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg As far as I’m concerned, one of the only things more fun than enjoying a great wine and food pairing is enjoying it with smart people who are willing to share their knowledge and make the experience even more delicious. When DoctorWine himself, Daniele Cernilli—a highly […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg Mary Valdez has taken the helm of the renowned bar program at Outpost at the Goodland, bringing a host of fun and creative new items to the already stellar menu. We checked out the first in what will be a series of seasonal beverage menus last week, […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years, but the 7th Annual Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival (SBFF) is coming up this weekend and it looks like it’s going to be even better than ever. For those of you who’ve never attended, SBFF is an annual gathering […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg This week brings the 32nd Annual Central Coast Wine Classic, as well as the 75th birthday celebration of its Founder & Chairman Archie McLaren. A benefit for the Talley Winery Fund for Vineyard & Farm Workers, the Friends of Hearst Castle and the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance hosts the annual Wine & Fire Weekend Aug. 18-20. In addition to special events and tastings throughout the weekend at member wineries, there is also a Barn Party at Dierberg Star Lane on Friday Aug. 18, where member wineries will share their […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg A little gem of a tasting room recently opened its doors in La Arcada. August Ridge Vineyards, a family-owned winery ten miles outside of Paso Robles in Creston, specializes in Italian varietals (Sangiovese, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Pinot Grigio, Primitivo and more). The winery was started by John Backer and Jill […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg Brave & Maiden Estate recently broke ground on its new winery and tasting room, which will be located on the winery’s 60-acre estate along Refugio Road in Santa Ynez. The sustainably farmed vineyard takes its name from the “Legend of Nojoqui” (pronounced Naw-ho-wee), an indigenous incarnation […]

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg As if there were any doubt that Santa Barbara County is Wine Country, Wine Spectator recently honored 20 local restaurants with their highest honors for excellence. “Wine Spectator‘s Restaurant Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to […]